The Recombinant Maize Ribosome-Inactivating Protein Transiently Reduces Viral Load in SHIV89.6 Infected Chinese Rhesus Macaques
Rui-Rui Wang,
Ka-Yee Au,
Hong-Yi Zheng,
Liang-Min Gao,
Xuan Zhang,
Rong-Hua Luo,
Sue Ka-Yee Law,
Amanda Nga-Sze Mak,
Kam-Bo Wong,
Ming-Xu Zhang,
Wei Pang,
Gao-Hong Zhang,
Pang-Chui Shaw,
Yong-Tang Zheng
Affiliations
Rui-Rui Wang
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Ka-Yee Au
Center for Protein Science and Crystallography, School of Life Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T. 999077, Hong Kong, China
Hong-Yi Zheng
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Liang-Min Gao
Division of HIV/AIDS and STI Control, Yuxi Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Yuxi 653100, Yunnan, China
Xuan Zhang
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Rong-Hua Luo
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Sue Ka-Yee Law
Center for Protein Science and Crystallography, School of Life Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T. 999077, Hong Kong, China
Amanda Nga-Sze Mak
Center for Protein Science and Crystallography, School of Life Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T. 999077, Hong Kong, China
Kam-Bo Wong
Center for Protein Science and Crystallography, School of Life Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T. 999077, Hong Kong, China
Ming-Xu Zhang
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Wei Pang
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Gao-Hong Zhang
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Pang-Chui Shaw
Center for Protein Science and Crystallography, School of Life Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T. 999077, Hong Kong, China
Yong-Tang Zheng
Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
Ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) inhibit protein synthesis by depurinating the large ribosomal RNA and some are found to possess anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity. Maize ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) has an internal inactivation loop which is proteolytically removed for full catalytic activity. Here, we showed that the recombinant active maize RIP protected chimeric simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) 89.6-infected macaque peripheral blood mononuclear cells from lysis ex vivo and transiently reduced plasma viral load in SHIV89.6-infected rhesus macaque model. No evidence of immune dysregulation and other obvious side-effects was found in the treated macaques. Our work demonstrates the potential development of maize RIP as an anti-HIV agent without impeding systemic immune functions.
